The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-04
ENGINEERS SUGGESTIONS.
An Old Railroad Man Says That Hun
drcds OF Lives Have Been Saved
because OF Them.

"Railroad engineers, as rule, are q
superstitious class of persons" said an
old railroad man. "They have foolish
fancies and attach importance to signs
and warnings; but know of instances
where hundreds of lives have been
saved by engineers fances and super
stitons. For over thirty years have
been railroad conductor, and during
that time | have seen and heard many
things that under ordinary circumstan-
ces would have discredited. One OF
the best engineers that ever run on the
West Shore railroad was n man named
Bronson. One morning, just before
starting time, while he sat chatting with
the fireman, the engine bell suddenly
rang out three times AS neither the
engineer nor fireman had touched the
bell, and as no other person was on or
around the engine, the men felt troubled
over the circumstance. They regarded
it as an i'll omen, and both men were
filed with dread The train started on
its Journey, and mile after mile was
quickly travelled, the engineer mean
while keeping an anxious lookout for
danger. When within about an eighth
of n mile of rocky cut, the bell again,
apparently of its own accord, sounded
three ominous notes, clear and distinct.
The engineer. beside himself with ter
ror, exclaimed. My God. Bill! it's Il
warning of some great danger, and
believe tia my duty to stop. I'm go
ing to shut her down if lose my place
by it, The train came to sudden
standstill and within ten feet of the en-
cine, lying across the track, was a
great rock several tons in weight, which
had become loosened by recent storm
and broken away from the great mass
above A terrible calamity was avert
ed and hundreds of lives saved"
And now III tell you of another in
stance" continued the same speaker,
of how an engineer lost his life BY not
heed ng voice of warning. One OF
the most careful and trusted engineers
on our road was James Welsh. One
morning his wife noticed that he was
not in his usual cheerful frame OF mind
and questioned him about it. He told
her that he was not i'll, but he said
he had premonition that he would be
killed during the day. His wife, being
a sensible woman, did not laugh or
sheer at his fears, but begged him TO
stay at home that day. Welsh, who is
n disbelieyer in signs and omens, laugh
ed mt his fancies and went to his death.
Two hours later the engineer was ~
ing, crushed to death. at the bottom OF
n deep ravine.
yes. know such things TO be true. y
said another man. SILLY MS it may
seem, wouldn't run train after see
ing n white rabbit cross the track. with
out first stopping to investigate, if |
were to be made president of the road.
| remember one dark night we were
scooting across country ataprctty live
ly rate, when all OF sudden, | saw a
white rabbit dart across the track
Just in front of the engine. The wee
thing gave me such look in that brief
second that something compelled me
to stop the train. The conductor and
train men came rushing up to the en-
CINE to find out the cause of our sudden
halt, and it didn't take long to find out
either. Only few feet ahead on the
track were some heavy logs. They had
most likely been placed there anu tied
down by tramps who in the confusion
of u frightful accident, such as would
have taken place if | hadn't stopped
the train, would have robbed and plum
dered the dead and dying passengers"
An old Hudson river pilot, who had
been an earnest listener, said;
Il am assured of one thing. ! know
the longer mans experience is as boat
or engineer on railroad, the more
easily dcluded he becomes. Especially
is this the case with steamboat pilot
or engineer who has experienced an ac-
cident entailng heavy loss of life. A
man looses faith in himself, and dark
shadow in the water will often cause a
pilot to pull bells for a stop. Several
years ago. when the magnificent steam
boat Thomas Cornell. which at that
time piled between Rondout and New
vi. roo oshoro So far that its bow